Experimental Characterization and Comparison of Three Typical Omnidirectional Mobile Robots

Abstract

Omnidirectional vehicles (ODVs) or mobile robots are widely used in various industries due to their ability to move and rotate in narrow spaces without the need for multiple adjustments of moving direction or stopping. There are multiple types of ODVs, including those with standard wheels and those with special wheels such as Swedish wheels. Comprehensive characterization of the ODV's overall performance, which is very important when selecting specific configurations in the robot design process, is still missing in the literature. This paper qualitatively summarizes the comprehensive characteristics of three typical omnidirectional mobile robots in indoor scenarios through theoretical analysis and physical experiments. We compare the robot's performance through six representative evaluation metrics (maneuverability, efficiency, etc.) and express the results in a radar chart. The results of this study can assist designers in designing omnidirectional robots more effectively for specific application scenarios.